so Steve McQueen did the stunts in the Great Escape,except the jump.who did it?

[giusto]

Without help from Google or Wikipedia....I was hoping to see how many "King of Cool" fans are out there...McQueen did most of the motorcycle scenes in the Great Escape except the fence jump...a well known stunt driver and buddy of his did it because of insurance issues.

What was his name?

Hint...drove the car in Bullet too :)

[Demar]

Steve McQueen was on a bike dressed as a German soldier following himself in some of the scenes.

[Joliet Jim]

I think he did the magnum force jump too.

[RinkRat II]

        Bud Ekins :



    Paul B

[Bonafide Bob]

        Bud Ekins :



    Paul B

Yep, that is who did it.

[oldbike54]

 Bud was also the first American to do what ?

 Dusty

[Bonafide Bob]

Ride in the ISDT and Moto X in Europe .

[Guzzistajohn]

Wasn't that the dude in the middle?

[oldbike54]

Ride in the ISDT and Moto X in Europe .

 What other bit of strange MC history did Bud and his brother participate in ?

  Dusty

[Sasquatch Jim]

 I think Bud Ekins was the rider who did the high speed lay down crash in Bullit also.

[Bonafide Bob]

What other bit of strange MC history did Bud and his brother participate in ?

  Dusty

Not Strange, but he was an early desert racer and had a large collection of rare motorcycles.

[Bonafide Bob]

Not competition related .

  Dusty

You are wearing out google tonight Dusty.

[LowRyter]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xB81vqi2O4

[giusto]

I think Bud Ekins was the rider who did the high speed lay down crash in Bullit also.

He did ...it was the hint in my question...:)

[oldbike54]

[author=Bonafide Bob link=topic=81406.msg1283474#msg1283474 date=1454036524]
You are wearing out google tonight Dusty.
[/quote]

 Haven't once gone to Google on this , just have a huge store of completely useless knowledge 

 Dusty

[smdl]

[author=Bonafide Bob link=topic=81406.msg1283474#msg1283474 date=1454036524]
You are wearing out google tonight Dusty.


 Haven't once gone to Google on this , just have a huge store of completely useless knowledge 

 Dusty

Vital, yet otherwise meaningless information.

Shaun

[giusto]

Most sources say Elkins, according to the internet (so it must be true) three people jumped the fence, Elkins, McQueen (to prove he could) and the 'Australian guy.

According to an on camera interview with EKINS he was the only one to jump. The producers/insurance company wouldn't allow McQueen.

Still all Pretty cool in anyone's book

[oldbike54]

According to an on camera interview with EKINS he was the only one to jump. The producers/insurance company wouldn't allow McQueen.

Still all Pretty cool in anyone's book

 McQueen claimed he made the jump later on that day after the execs had gone home . Apparently the crew gave him some flannel for not doing the jump and he felt compelled to prove himself .

 Dusty

[Aaron D.]

Bud's brother's name is Dave.

[Rough Edge racing]

McQueen claimed he made the jump later on that day after the execs had gone home . Apparently the crew gave him some flannel for not doing the jump and he felt compelled to prove himself .

 Dusty

 Got a source of information that McQueen made the jump later that day?

[blackcat]

"Steve McQueen also personally attempted the jump across the border fence, but crashed."

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057115/trivia

[oldbike54]

Got a source of information that McQueen made the jump later that day?

 Well , ya got me on that  Just one of those things I read or heard at a motorbike shop in SoCal in the early 70s .

 Still waiting on an answer to the other non-competition Ekins question , AND , what famous character worked for Bud ? Once again , haven't gone to Google , just dragging out useless knowledge 

  Dusty

 

[giusto]

Well , ya got me on that  Just one of those things I read or heard at a motorbike shop in SoCal in the early 70s .

 Still waiting on an answer to the other non-competition Ekins question , AND , what famous character worked for Bud ? Once again , haven't gone to Google , just dragging out useless knowledge 

  Dusty

No idea ... But you were right.
It still lives on. Lol got some good milage outa this one

[RinkRat II]

 I know that bud raced Catalina several years and I think he and his brother were editors for a cycle mag.

     Paul

[Rough Edge racing]

 Read about Bud Ekins here...

                   http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/halloffame/detail.aspx?RacerID=166

[oldbike54]

Read about Bud Ekins here...

                   http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/halloffame/detail.aspx?RacerID=166

 This article points out one of the main reasons I don't trust internet articles . Where did Bud find a 1940 Triumph in America , not impossible , but improbable , and what race track were they on when Bud pulled his famous trick running Eddie into a a hole ?

 Dusty

[giusto]

This article points out one of the main reasons I don't trust internet articles . Where did Bud find a 1940 Triumph in America , not impossible , but improbable , and what race track were they on when Bud pulled his famous trick running Eddie into a a hole ?

 Dusty

 Does anyone know where those bikes are today? I saw a episode of pawn stars and there was a fellow selling a Indian motorcycle that belonged to Steve McQueen. I think it was a 1953 chief four-cyclender

[wymple]

I used to hear that the lay down crash in Bullit was an accident, a rider who wandered into the shoot. I never heard it was planned.

[cruzziguzzi]

McQueen claimed he made the jump later on that day after the execs had gone home . Apparently the crew gave him some flannel for not doing the jump and he felt compelled to prove himself .

 Dusty

I had read this as well in one interview or another but print is only marginally more reliable than the blathernet. Most of the information on the Capt America bike is in hard print and generated before the internet and is worth just about what the paper it's printed on is worth... after adjusting for inflation - of any kind.

Hell, I'd also seen that the jump was in fact performed by MCCool but he and Bud had colluded to satisfy the producers and insurers - just as likely... inflated.


Todd.

[giusto]

I had read this as well in one interview or another but print is only marginally more reliable than the blathernet. Most of the information on the Capt America bike is in hard print and generated before the internet and is worth just about what the paper it's printed on is worth... after adjusting for inflation - of any kind.

Hell, I'd also seen that the jump was in fact performed by MCCool but he and Bud had colluded to satisfy the producers and insurers - just as likely... inflated.


Todd.

I agree with you when it comes to internet viability....it's getting to " if it's written it must be ah...not true." I take the information for what it's worth and try to corroborate. That said....I like the on camera interview that was posted earlier in this post...I had seen this before and Bud would have no reason to say anything other than the truth especially since it was long after McQueen's death.
Also Thanks guys for the reminder post....I was up until 2:30 last night because I couldn't tear myself away from "On any Given Sunday" I had forgotten how good that is!!